“As Delivered” Remarks of Ronald L. Batory, Administrator

Federal Railroad Administration

Before the Association of State Rail Safety Managers

New York City, NY

November 7, 2018

Thank you, Mike. I appreciate the warm welcome.

It is a true pleasure to speak before the Members and Guests of the Association of State Rail 

Safety Managers.

I have much respect for this annual meeting. It brings together a very unique talent pool of rail 

safety professionals. 

Now let me share why I stand before you this morning and what I intend to convey. Naturally 

your Association, President, Mike Stead invited me to speak today but my appearing before you 

goes much deeper than that.

Prior to my retirement from the railroad industry last year I elected to pursue public service and 

in particular the Federal Railroad Administration. I was very fortunate to become its

Administrator earlier this year. My objective was fueled by dual lifelong passions. Love of 

country and love for railroads.

So, all that said why am I here? It’s to serve our country by contributing to the needs of the 

Federal Railroad Administration utilizing my 45+ years of rail industry experience garnered from 

the thousands of rail industry associated people such as yourselves that I’ve worked with 

throughout my passionate career. In essence it is from you, about you and for you as an 

American.

In recognition of our mutual interests towards railroads I want to share some facts and thoughts 

concerning three key areas. Those being safety, technology & infrastructure. Afterwards, 

assuming time allows I would welcome a conversation, as listening to you is of considerable 

value to my effort going forward.

Not surprising and definitely first is safety. It applies to everything we do.

• Safety is the foundation for success.

• Safety is uncompromising

• Safety is non-negotiable

• Safety is unforgiving

• Safety is personal

• Safety never sleeps

Many if not all of you can appreciate the statements just shared. We have walked each other’s 

paths in promoting safety throughout our Nation’s Rail Network.
I cannot emphasize enough that safety must be first and foremost in everything we develop, 

institute and practice. Therefore, reducing and eliminating risk is paramount to enhancing safety 

across the board.

With this in mind I want to talk about a very absorbing time and effort subject matter known as 

Positive Train Control, or PTC. Implementation of PTC systems is at the top of FRA’s agenda 

and represents the most fundamental change in train control rail safety technology since the 

introduction of Automatic Train Control nearly century ago.

For those of you that might not know, PTC is a risk reduction system designed to prevent 

undesired train control movements such as....

• Train to train collisions

• Over speed

• Incursions into established work zones

• And trains from being routed to the wrong track because a switch was left in the 

wrong position.

In other words, PTC is designed to avert accidents caused by human error should the flaw be 

incurred. Our nearly quarter of million fellow Americans that maintain and operate our Nation’s 

railroads are safe. The PTC technology tool in their toolbox will only strengthen the already safe 

environment in which they are employed.

Reducing and eliminating risk extends beyond railroad rights-of-way to the broader public as 

well. Earlier this year FRA once again partnered with fellow agency National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration to roll out a multi-million-dollar public awareness safety campaign to 

educate the public about the railroad grade crossings.

Last Tuesday in Washington, D.C. The Department of Transportation recently hosted an all day 

Summit led by the Federal Railroad Administration and supported by partnering agencies 

regarding various railroad grade crossing and trespasser subject matters. This event has now set 

the stage for next steps starting in 2019 regarding engineering, education and enforcement.

The Department is both deliberate and persistent about getting this message out. Last year, 274 

people died in grade-crossing accidents – the second annual increase since 2016.

This subject matter will always be close to my heart. During my career, I’ve personally 

experienced on board locomotive collisions with highway vehicles. In one instance, it was a 

school bus full of children – I could actually see them jumping out the back door and rushing 

down the front steps of the bus as our train approached. Thankfully, that school bus emptied 

seconds before the train struck. 

My daughter Erin also lost a high school friend and classmate to a train-auto collision 20 years 

ago. Since my arrival at DOT headquarters, I’ve literally been jolted by the daily national 

incidents of deaths, injuries and near-misses reported.
On the day of my swearing in ceremony, I pledge that throughout my tenure as the FRA 

Administrator, increasing public awareness of rail safety will be a consistent priority of mine, not 

unlike my past involvement in the private sector.

I ask each of you to join me in this endeavor, if you are not already engaged. Because taken 

together, railroad crossing and trespasser fatalities have accounted for about 95 percent of all 

rail-related deaths over the past 10 years.

And since 1997, more people have died each year from trespassing than in motor vehicle 

collisions with trains at highway-rail grade crossings.

Congress is certainly paying attention. The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, in its 

Fiscal Year 2018 Transportation Budget Report, instructed FRA to identify and study the 

fundamental factors that lead to trespassing incidents on railroad property.

In addition, we’ve also been instructed to develop a national strategy to prevent trespasser 

incidents – incorporating milestones and metrics to define success. FRA is hard at work on this 

strategy, which is scheduled to be completed this year.

Going forward, I believe safety and innovation must be coupled together. As mentioned, we’re 

already doing this with PTC. But other transformative technologies await us as we continue 

pursuing our 21st century journey. Each day is an opportunity to embrace technology to reduce 

risks and have the railroad industry become a safer mode of transportation. Each of you along 

with those aside of you share in this unique opportunity and I encourage all of you to lead it. 

What you do today will determine tomorrow’s future. Aggressively embracing the Internet of 

Things, artificial intelligence, and autonomous functions that can foster an environment toward 

minimal to non-existent risk. It is a must if we intend to make a positive difference in safety.

As it pertains to transformative technologies, drones – to use one example – are already 

demonstrating their value. Drone technology is revolutionizing many industries as companies are 

increasingly interested in adapting them for all kinds of commercial and humanitarian 

applications.

In the rail industry, drones have a role to play in safeguarding infrastructure and investigating 

accidents or preventing them. There are other technologies also emerging successfully, which

will ultimately reduce risk and enhance safety among the engineering, mechanical and operating 

disciplines.

So now imagine our safety-instilled culture of zero tolerance combined with the infinite use of 

developing technology. This combination of culture and applied sciences can be the key 

ingredients for determining and developing safe, smart and sustainable infrastructure for our 

future.
How much one builds or spends on infrastructure is not nearly as important as to how wisely we 

exercise those actions. We have many fields of opportunity awaiting us to harvest change 

whether it be safety, technology, infrastructure or a combination thereof.

Some of you know that I’m not a “caretaker”. Instead I’ve always sought to be a “change agent” 

and encourage constructive change. You cannot fear failure. If you do, it becomes a lock on the 

door that keeps you from entering the unknown side of creative innovation.

So, with that said, as we embark on the first half of the 21st century technology needs to be 

aggressively exploited. Developing and instituting methods to lower risk among operating and 

maintenance practices can take us to new levels of improved safety, thus enhancing capacity and 

efficiency with less variability to accommodate safe growth.

Applying prescriptive rulemaking to technology will inhibit safety oriented innovation. In 

essence technology can move faster than ink can dry and technological advancements will not 

wait for that ink to be applied and ultimately dry.

Minimum/maximum prescriptive rule making exists today with a long tail of history. 

Augmenting that with performance based rule measurements has considerable upside benefit. 

The combination if properly balanced can further reduce risk and improve safety.

As your Administrator, I will well and faithfully discharge its duties with unrelenting vigor. I 

look forward every day to using all the rail safety and business knowledge that thousands of 

Americans such as yourselves, have given me throughout my living dream.

Combining my commitment and knowledge with that which already exists today at FRA, I’m of 

the belief we can make a positive difference for the future to tell.

Thank You Very Much And God Bless The United States of America.

###